confidential banking?

I saw a posting on alt.privacy a couple of days ago from
100022.1345@compuserve.com (Mark Mage) advertising the
availability of what he called "the safest kind of bank
account legally available", something called "an anonymous
'Sparbuch'" account in Austria.

He said "The anonymous account is a bearer's account without
a name or, alternatively, may be made out in whatever pseudonym
you choose (as long as it is not obscene or otherwise illegal)."

I'm not at all familiar with Austrian banking law or this type
of account.  Would someone tell me if this is worth checking
into further?  'Mark Mage' says these accounts usually cost
$200 - $400 to set up, but he's asking "considerably less".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                          SANDY SANDFORT
 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

C'punks,

On Thu, 26 Dec 1996 troubled@mailmasher.com wrote:

> I saw a posting on alt.privacy a couple of days ago from
> 100022.1345@compuserve.com (Mark Mage) advertising the
> availability of what he called "the safest kind of bank
> account legally available", something called "an anonymous
> 'Sparbuch'" account in Austria.
> ...
> I'm not at all familiar with Austrian banking law or this type
> of account.  Would someone tell me if this is worth checking
> into further?  'Mark Mage' says these accounts usually cost
> $200 - $400 to set up, but he's asking "considerably less".

The trouble with sparbuchs is that they are legally available 
only to Austrians.  The answer to this given by promoters is that
since no ID can be required of Austrians and the passbook is in
essence a bearer instrument, the law cannot be enforced.  As far
as I can tell, though, one would really need to handle one's
business through an Austrian to keep from having to answer 
embarrassing questions.  In addition, I personally would not do
business with Mark Mage.


 S a n d y

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~